Understanding Kdrama: Begging For Forgiveness

In almost every episode of a kdrama, you may see a character kneel and ask for forgiveness or mercy. A character may kneel before a king, a boss a parent, an enemy or a lover.

In a recent episode of "Secrets," Bae Soo Bin tells Hwang Jung Eum that he will kneel down and beg if it causes her to disappear. In an even more recent episode (spoiler alert), he does kneel down before her to beg her to abandon her desire for justice. In the same episode, Ji Sung, kneels before his father to beg for his right to choose the woman he loves and to ask his father to forgive him. Ji Sung also kneels before Hwang Jung Eum to express his humility before kissing her.

In an episode of  "The Suspicious Housekeeper," Choi Ji Woo kneels before her mother-in-law and begs her forgiveness for the crimes her mother-in-law said she committed.

And it's not a new development in kdramas. In "The Princess Hours" Yoon Eun Hye kneels for days begging her father-in-law the King to forgive her indiscretion.

And the person whose mercy is being requested often seems shocked that such an extreme act has taken place.

What's up with all the kneeling? Do Koreans really kneel and beg that much? Probably not as often as they do in kdramas, which do exaggerate daily life there as much as American TV shows can exaggerate life in the U.S.

But it does have some basis in tradition. Korean culture does place a high value on preserving your honor and saving face.

If someone kneels and sincerely expresses regret or begs for forgiveness, this is seen as acting properly and understanding what the person has done wrong.  With this act of propriety, the person is seen as heading back on to the right path.

By this admission, they have a chance to restore some semblance of  honor. This even extends to the courts where begging for mercy and admitting the error of your ways can result in a judge being more merciful in his or her sentencing.

Calling for mercy in a criminal case came up several times in the drama "I Hear Your Voice" when Lee Bo Young's character often called on her defendant's to plead guilty, even if they weren't, and seek the mercy of the court.

This is not unique to Korean culture as in many countries people who throw themselves on the mercy of the court are treated more leniently. But bowing is a sign of respect in Korea with a slight nod being more common than a handshake. So a deep bow or kneeling can be seen as a sign of humility and great respect.